Changes in soybean cultivars released over the past 50\xa0years in southern Brazil

Renan Caldas Umburanas,Durval Dourado-Neto,José Laércio Favarin,Jackson Kawakami,Leonardo Zabot Anderle,Klaus Reichardt,Elizabeth Anna Ainsworth

doi:10.1038/s41598-021-04043-8

Renan Caldas Umburanas, Durval Dourado-Neto + Show 5 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-04043-8

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Abstract

On-farm soybean yield has increased considerably in the last 50 years in southern Brazil, but there is still little information about how selection and breeding for yield increase has changed the agronomic attributes of cultivars. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the changes in soybean yield, seed oil and protein concentration, and changes in plant attributes that might be associated with yield improvement of 26 soybean cultivars released over the past 50 years in southern Brazil, sown simultaneously in a common field environment for two growing seasons. The average rate of yield gain was 45.9 kg ha−1 yr−1 (2.1% ha−1 yr−1), mainly due increased seed number per area and harvest index. Over year of cultivar release, cultivars became less susceptible to lodging, as well as plant mortality reduced. Meanwhile, the seed oil concentration increased, and seed protein concentration decreased, which could have negative consequences for soybeans use and requires further attention for breeding of future cultivars. Breeders have successfully contributed to the annual rate of soybean yield increase in southern Brazil. By our results, as well as the official on-farm production data, there is no evidence of soybean yield reaching a plateau in the near future in southern Brazil.

Highlights

On-farm soybean yield has increased considerably in the last 50 years in southern Brazil, but there is still little information about how selection and breeding for yield increase has changed the agronomic attributes of cultivars
Our evaluation of old and modern soybean cultivars in the same environment showed that yields increased by 45.9 kg ha−1 yr−1 (Fig. 2A) in two harvest seasons, which was similar to the average on-farm yield gain obtained in Brazil, southern Brazil and Paraná state of 44, 43 and 39 kg ha−1 yr−1, respectively[2]
Over the last 50 yr. breeders have successfully contributed to the annual rate of soybean yield increase in southern Brazil

Summary

Introduction

On-farm soybean yield has increased considerably in the last 50 years in southern Brazil, but there is still little information about how selection and breeding for yield increase has changed the agronomic attributes of cultivars. In the last 42 years, soybean production in Brazil increased 9.4-fold, as a result from both a 5.2-fold expansion in production area and a 1.8-fold increase in on-farm yield, reaching an average yield gain of 43.9 kg ha−1 yr−12 This improvement in yield has been associated with the continual introduction of new soybean cultivars and with improvements in management practices. Soybean cultivation has been reported in Brazil since 1882, but the crop became economically important around 19703 In this context, the introduction of cultivars in the southern part of the country can be divided into two phases: (i) introduction of cultivars from southern United States into regions below 23° S, pioneering soybean production of this region; and (ii) introduction of transgenic cultivars with indeterminate growth habit adapted to no-tillage management practices in the 2 000s3. There are previous studies reporting such changes from A rgentina[4], United S tates5–8, China9–11, Canada[12], and India[13]

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